Causal Factors Influencing the Moral and Ethical Development of Early Childhood in the 21st Century

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study the causal factors influencing the moral and ethical development of early childhood in the 21^st century in order to develop a linear structural relationship model of the causal factors influencing the moral and ethical development of early childhood in the 21^st century and to examine the coherence of the linear structural model of causal factors influencing the moral and ethical development of early childhood in the 21^st century. The group of 514 samples were administrators, early childhood teachers, and parents of early childhood children. It was found the causal factors influencing the moral and ethical development of early childhood in the 21^st century consisted of 3 components: 1) personal factors including ego; and superego to comply with mutual agreement, 2) Environmental factors including cares development and raising, learning activities outside the classroom, interaction with others, providing suitable environment, and being a role model, and 3) physical literacy factors including motivation and confidence in doing physical activities, physical competence to perform physical activities, knowledge and understanding of movement, and encountering physical activities for life. 

The results of the development and consistency examination of the causal factor model influencing the moral and ethical development of early childhood in the 21^st century revealed that the model was harmoniously consistent with the empirical evidence (= 103.76, df= 40 p= 0.00 CN= 425.53, CFI= 1.00 GFI= 0.97, AGFI= 0.93, RMSEA= 0.042, SRMR=0.02). In addition, it was found that the variables that directly influenced the moral and ethical development of early childhood in the 21st century were physical literacy factors with influence of 0.50, followed by internal factors and External factors with the influence of 0.34 and 0.16, respectively. In addition, the influence was also indirectly influenced by the external factors, Internal factors with the influence of 0.22 and 0.16 respectively.